Strictly Come Dancing's new host Johannes Radebe has revealed he burst into tears during rehearsals for the BBC show's live broadcasts.
Emotional return to the ballroom
Johannes, who joined the series as a professional dancer in 2018 and has partnered celebrities including Catherine Tyldesley and Caroline Quentin, has swapped the dance floor for a presenting role this year. He now fronts the show alongside Emma Willis and Josh Widdicombe, following the departure of Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly last year.
During Thursday's (October 1) appearance on It Takes Two, Johannes disclosed that emotions ran high during preparations for the live broadcast. Asked by new It Takes Two presenter Ellie Taylor whether it felt strange being back in the ballroom without dancing, Johannes responded: "It was. I did cry, didn't I? In rehearsals. I think seeing them all come down in their outfits, knowing what they're dancing, that weekend, what they had to go through in the past two weeks."
Mixed reactions from viewers
The dancer continued: "I was just like, oh... I missed that, but I've got partners with me. So it's fine." Discussing the contestants' performances during the opening week, Johannes remarked: "I watched the competition, and I wanted to be on the floor enjoying them, but I have to say, there are so many surprises."
He added: "There are people that came out, and I said, I thought to myself, I didn't expect you to be doing this. You know, it'd be one, but across the board, we are in for a real treat this year."
This follows Strictly enthusiasts expressing concerns about the revamped presenting arrangement, with one viewer observing: "The overwhelming view seems to be that Emma is perfect and should host downstairs alone, and Josh should be moved upstairs as he's way more of a comedic, light-hearted chat sort of host. But where does that leave Johannes.."
Viewer suggestions and next steps
Another remarked: "This is a disaster @bbcstrictly. Josh and Johannes are not working at all. Not one bit. Johannes talking whilst they're coming up the stairs? ! You're going to lose long-time viewers rapidly."
Another enthusiast suggested that producers might rotate the positions each week. "I'm curious to see if they might 'Rotate or alternate' the roles in a similar style to the launch show," they wrote. "It's only Week 1 so there's time to make changes and it feels very 'trial and error' right now." Strictly Come Dancing airs every weekend on BBC One and iPlayer.
